Feeling a little more human today. However, the wee man has been very fractious of late, so the blog has been on the backburner a bit. There are interviews from Dweezil Zappa and We Were Promised Jetpacks to be published very shortly.
But it’s my birthday tomorrow so some gothic pleasures for now…
Patricia Morrison really had a je ne sais quoi when I was eleven years old.
…time it was that Friday usually was cover versions day round these parts.
I never consciously made the decision to stop doing it, but I thought it might be fun to start doing more regular cover versions posts around here.
So…there is no real theme here, just a handful of cover versions I enjoy. I hope you will too!
Jimi Hendrix -‘All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover).’ mp3
The Fall -‘Victoria (The Kinks cover).’ mp3
Arab Strap -‘You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC cover).’ mp3
Six By Seven -‘I Want To Destroy You (The Soft Boys cover).’ mp3
Le Tigre -‘I’m So Excited (Pointer Sisters cover).’ mp3
Bauhaus -‘Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover).’ mp3
Wedding Present -‘Back for Good (Take That cover).’ mp3
Kathryn Williams -‘All Apologies (Nirvana cover).’ mp3
Cat Power -‘Wonderwall (Oasis cover).’ mp3
Mogwai -‘Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath cover).’ mp3
Lethal Bizzle -‘Police On My Back (Eddy Grant cover).’ mp3
Haven’t done this in ages…so why not?
No theme, just some good cover versions!
Lightspeed Champion -‘Back To Black (Amy Winehouse cover).’ mp3
Cat Power -‘Wonderwall (Oasis cover).’ mp3
CSS -‘One Way Or Another (Blondie cover).’ mp3
Carter USM -‘Rent (Pet Shop Boys cover).’ mp3
Wedding Present -‘Back For Good (Take That cover).’ mp3
X-Lion Tamer -‘Tugboat (Galaxie 500 cover).’ mp3
This Mortal Coil -‘I Am the Cosmos (Chris Bell cover).’ mp3
Bauhaus -‘Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover).’ mp3
BMX Bandits -‘Love ‘n’ Mercy (Live) (Brian Wilson cover).’ mp3
Swimmer One -‘Cloudbusting (Kate Bush cover).’ mp3
Enjoy, folks! xx
…right now, after today it would be this. An utter gem in this mad, messed up world.
Who says goths didn’t have the funk?
Bauhaus -‘Kick In The Eye (2).’ mp3
Part of my ‘alternative awakening’ at the age of fourteen was Bauhaus’ second album, Mask.
I was getting into ‘indie’ music, and the name and the image kind of intrigued me, so I bought the cassette. For many years, it was the album’s opening track ‘Hair Of the Dog’ with its’ lyrics that evoked a wander around an asylum, but a few years ago, this came on whilst waiting for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, this came on. It fitted perfectly with the then prevailing new wave of post-punk, and sounded remarkably fresh.
And the cover art on the 12″ single looked cool as anything.
Bauhaus -‘Kick In the Eye(2).’ mp3
John Peel in 1976
OK, slightly rubbish heading but I’m running out of funny original titles.
Anyway, it’s been a few days since I did a post resting on John Peel’s Festive Fifties, so here we go:
In recent years, it is increasingly being considered that John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten)’s post Sex Pistols band, Public Image Ltd (PiL) may, in fact, have been far more groundbreaking than the Sex Pistols. No kidding.
Public Image Ltd.- ‘Public Image.’ mp3 (1978 Festive Fifty no.9, 1979 Festive Fifty no.9, 1980 Festive Fifty no.11, 1981 Festive Fifty no.26, 1982 All-time Festive Fifty no.20)
Famously, John Peel’s favourite ever song was this, the opening lines of which are now on his gravestone:
Undertones -‘Teenage Kicks.’ mp3 (1978 Festive Fifty no.10, 1979 Festive Fifty no.2, 1980 Festive Fifty no.7, 1981 Festive Fifty no.6, 1982 Alltime Festive fifty no.8, Millennium no.2)
There seems to be a bit of a link between teaching and rock’n’roll, despite the fact that the two might seem to be diametrically opposed. Step forward, in this case, Gordon MacIntyre and Katie Griffiths from Ballboy.
Ballboy -‘All The Records On the Radio Are Shite.’ mp3 (2002 Festive Fifty no.10)
There have been a number of cover versions making the Festive Fifty over the years, including this one (a fair bit of ‘goth’ made it onto the FF over the years):
Bauhaus -‘Ziggy Stardust.’ mp3 (1982 Festive Fifty no.14)
…and despite the accusations, it wasn’t all white boys with guitars in the Festive fifty over the years either
Broadcast -‘Echoes Answer.’ mp3 (1999 Festive Fifty no.36)
Though some of those white boys with guitars did make some excellent records, though:
Pavement -‘Range Life.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.14)
‘At least once a week I drive a nail through my foot for not seeing them while I had the chance’ said Peel of Big Black. Maybe I’m just afraid of pain. Main man Steve Albini went on to produce Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Low and the Wedding Present.
Big Black -‘Colombian Necktie.’ mp3 (1987 Festive Fifty no.18)
Finally, many thanks to Steve at Teenage Kicks for posting these, without whom I wouldn’t be able to post these here:
Sabres Of Paradise -‘Wilmot.’ mp3 (1994 Festive Fifty no.
Ministry -‘Jesus Built My Hot Rod.’ mp3 (1992 Festive Fifty no.3)
Very Things -‘The Bushes Scream While My Daddy Prunes.’ mp3 (1984 Festive fifty no.27)
Will be more music here over the weekend. Keep it tuned, so to speak. X
For some reason, ‘Goth’ still seems to unnerve some people. This says more about them than it does about Goth music and Goth culture itself. It continues to throw up great bands and songs (and some dreadful ones too!), as well as debates as to who was goth or not. (siouxsie claiming she wasn’t is a bit laughable).
Anyway, as an eighties-style goth (on occasion!) here are three cover versions done by goth bands, and three cover versions of some goth staples. Enjoy. As always, these will be up for a week, so enjoy them, and if you like them, go to Amazon or iTunes and buy them.
Sisters Of Mercy-‘Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones cover).mp3’
Bauhaus-‘Ziggy Stardust(David Bowie cover).’ mp3
Echo and the Bunnymen-‘People Are Strange(Doors cover).’ mp3
Calexico-‘Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover).’ mp3
Lambchop-‘This Corrosion (Sisters Of Mercy cover).’ mp3
The Distants-‘She Sells Sanctuary(Cult cover).’ mp3